Woman Convicted Pensioner Theft After Tenerife Flight, Manchester 2026

Key Points

• Pamela Gwinnett, 63, stole more than £300,000 from 89-year-old Joan Green of Chorley, Lancashire, while acting as her carer and abusing a lasting power of attorney.
• Gwinnett fled to Tenerife in April 2025 while on bail and was sentenced in her absence to six years for fraud by abuse of position and theft.
• Sky News tracked her down at a southern Tenerife apartment complex in March 2026, where neighbours saw her enjoying the pool and sunshine.
• She was arrested in Tenerife last month, extradited to the UK, and appeared at Preston Crown Court on Monday for resentencing.
• Judge Michael Maher imposed a total sentence of six years and two months, adding two months for breaching bail by fleeing abroad.
• Joan Green died in 2022; her family said Gwinnett caused “an immense deal of stress, upset, and heartache” and welcomed the final sentencing.

Manchester Crime (Manchester Mirror) August 03, 2026 – A fugitive fraudster who stole more than £300,000 from a vulnerable pensioner, then fled to Tenerife before being tracked down by Sky News, has been jailed for six years and two months. Pamela Gwinnett, 63, of Greenfield Road, Adlington, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Monday after being extradited from Spain last week, concluding a case that has drawn widespread attention due to her flight from justice and the subsequent media investigation.

What crimes did Pamela Gwinnett commit against Joan Green?

Pamela Gwinnett was convicted of fraud by abuse of position and theft after she “plundered” the life savings of 89-year-old Joan Green, a retired accountant from Chorley, while acting as her carer during the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by Phoebe Southworth of Sky News, Gwinnett convinced Green to transfer a lasting power of attorney, giving her significant control over her finances, and then isolated her from her family.

During Gwinnett’s trial in her absence, jurors were shown a video secretly filmed by Joan’s step-grandson, David uk/local/bolton/">Bolton, capturing a confrontation at Green’s home in which Gwinnett shouted: “This is nothing to do with you – I’m power of attorney,” and “Yes I do!” when the family said she did not speak for Joan. The court heard that Gwinnett treated Green as “a cash cow to be milked until she was dry,” according to the judge who originally sentenced her in absentia.

How did Pamela Gwinnett spend the £300,000 stolen from Joan Green?

As reported by Sky News, Gwinnett spent almost £300,000 of Joan’s money on luxuries including expensive meals, beauty treatments such as Botox, a £22,500 car, and paying off mortgages on properties she owned. The funds were drawn from Green’s estate over a sustained period, with the court estimating that Gwinnett “plundered” more than £300,000 in total.

Why did Pamela Gwinnett flee to Tenerife and how long was she on the run?

Pamela Gwinnett flew to Tenerife in April 2025 while on bail ahead of her trial, and subsequently failed to attend her sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court. She was sentenced in her absence in October 2025 to six years’ imprisonment for theft and fraud by abuse of position, but remained at large for more than a year.

How did Sky News track Pamela Gwinnett down in Tenerife?

In March 2026, Sky News multi-platform reporter Phoebe Southworth tracked Gwinnett to a picturesque apartment block on the southern coast of Tenerife, where neighbours reported seeing her swimming in the communal pool and enjoying the sun. Sky News confronted Gwinnett outside her home and asked why she had defrauded Joan; she replied, “Did I heck take the money!” and insisted she had done nothing wrong.

When was Pamela Gwinnett arrested and extradited to the UK?

Gwinnett was arrested in Tenerife last month following a joint investigation by UK and Spanish authorities, and was extradited to the UK last week. Sky News joined Greater Manchester Police and National Crime Agency officers as they arrested her upon her arrival at Manchester Airport, escorting her into a police van. When asked if she regretted taking the money or wanted to apologise to Joan’s family, she remained silent, only nodding when asked if she still intended to appeal her conviction and sentence.

What sentence did Judge Michael Maher impose at Preston Crown Court?

On Monday, Judge Michael Maher resentenced Gwinnett at Preston Crown Court, imposing a total term of six years and two months’ imprisonment. The judge added two months to the original six-year sentence for breaching bail conditions by fleeing abroad, having previously reduced the term by three months due to her lack of prior convictions.

Addressing Gwinnett, Judge Maher said:

“You have treated this process as you did Joan Green – with utter contempt,”

and added that she “continued to besmirch Joan’s family” from abroad, describing her conduct as “cowardly”. He also thanked journalists for keeping the case in the public eye.

What did Joan Green’s family say after Pamela Gwinnett was jailed?

Speaking after Monday’s sentencing hearing, Joan’s step-grandson David Bolton said Gwinnett had caused “an immense deal of stress, upset, and heartache”. His wife Rebecca added that “it was great to finally see justice served”. When Gwinnett was first arrested in Tenerife, Mr Bolton told Sky News: “We are pleased that Pamela Gwinnett has finally been arrested and will now be held accountable for what she did to my nan. However, it has taken far too long to reach this point.”

Joan Green, from Chorley, died in 2022.

Background: How did this case develop from fraud to international manhunt?

The case began with an investigation into Gwinnett’s dealings with Joan Green, leading to charges of fraud by abuse of position and theft. Gwinnett was granted bail ahead of trial but fled to Tenerife in April 2025, prompting the court to proceed in her absence and convict her last October. She was sentenced to six years in absentia but remained at large until Sky News located her in March 2026, after which UK and Spanish authorities coordinated her arrest and extradition. Following her return, she faced resentencing to account for the bail breach, resulting in the additional two months.

Prediction: How might this case affect vulnerable pensioners and their families?

This development is likely to heighten awareness among families of elderly people about the risks associated with granting lasting powers of attorney to carers or acquaintances without robust oversight. It may also encourage greater scrutiny by banks and financial institutions of unusual transactions on accounts held by vulnerable adults, particularly when a single individual holds sweeping powers. For carers and those in positions of trust, the case underscores the severity with which courts treat abuse of position, especially when combined with flight from justice. Families may feel more empowered to challenge suspicious behaviour early, and the visibility of the Sky News investigation could deter similar attempts to evade prosecution by fleeing abroad.